Label printer for optical disk such as cd

ABSTRACT

A label printer suitable for label printing of a name card type optical disk as well as a 12 cm-standard complete round disk, wherein a 12 cm-diameter complete round disk loading recessed portion  3  is provided in a disk transferring tray  2  allowed to be inserted and ejected from a printer body  1 , and a name card type disk loading recessed portion  4  having a bottom surface positioned lower than the bottom surface of the complete round disk loading recessed portion  3  is provided at the rear portion of the complete round disk loading recessed portion  3 . At a rear portion of the name card type disk loading recessed portion  4 , an aperture for allowing the movement of the tip protruded portion  11   a  of a disk holding means  11  in the fore-and-aft direction of the printer body  1  is provided. When the disk transferring tray  2  is ejected from the printer body  1 , a 12 cm-diameter complete disk D 1  or a name card disk D 2  is loaded in the corresponding disk loading recessed portion  3, 4  and then the disk transferring tray  2  is inserted in the printer body  1 , the 12 cm-diameter complete disk D 1  or the name card type disk D 2  is pressed against the inner periphery of the corresponding disk loading recessed portion  3, 4  to be immovably held. Therefore, an excellent label printing with no blur can be performed.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a label printer for performinglabel printing of an optical disk such as the so-called CD, DVD, etc.,and more particularly to a label printer preferably used for labelprinting of a name card type optical disk as well as a standard 12cm-diameter complete round disk.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Recently, the so-called compact disks (hereinafter referred to as“CD(s),” which will be referred to as a generic term of various CDsincluding not only the so-called music CD but also CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW,etc.) among optical disks that have become essential as informationrecording mediums have been widely used.

[0003] For example, a CD-ROM exclusively used for reading recordedinformation is manufactured via a creation of the so-called metalmaster, a creation of a metal mother as a backup of the metal master, acreation of a stamper, a stamping with the stamper, a creation of areflection layer, a formation of a protective layer on the reflectionlayer and label printing.

[0004] These manufacturing processes are reasonable from the aspect ofcost performance in cases where a large number of CD-ROMs aremanufactured at once, but may come in extremely high cost in cases whereseveral tens of or two or three hundreds of CD-ROMs are manufactured.

[0005] Therefore, in cases where a small number of CD-ROMs aremanufactured, the following method is employed. In the method, a copyingmachine connected to a personal computer is used, and the recordedinformation source from the personal computer is copied onto anon-recorded recordable CD-R loaded on the copying machine. In order toperform label printing of the CD-R on which the recorded information wascopied, a label printer is used.

[0006] In practice, this label printer is connected to the copyingmachine. This copying machine is not a simple copying machine, and acommercially available machine (hereinafter referred to as “automaticmachine”) equipped with a hand arm that continuously and automaticallyperforms a series of operations including the loading of a CD-R to thecopying machine, the unloading of the recorded CD-R after the completionof recording information (essentially, CD-ROM), the loading of therecorded CD-R to the label printer, the unloading of the printed CD-R,and the accumulation of the unloaded CD-Rs.

[0007] Although the detailed explanation of this copying machine isomitted since such explanation is not the purpose of this specification,the outline of the label printer will be explained based on FIGS. 9 and10 as follows. A disk transferring tray 53 is mounted on the printerbody 52 of the label printer 51 in an insertable and ejectable manner,and the printer body 52 is provided with ink heads (not shown) therein.FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing the state in which the disktransferring tray 53 is ejected from the printer body 52, and FIG. 10 isa schematic plan showing the state in which the disk transferring tray53 is inserted in the printer body 52 with the disk D1 loaded thereon.

[0008] The disk transferring tray 53 is provided with a disk loadingrecessed portion 54 having a size capable of loading a 12 cm-CD with aslight margin therearound approximately at a longitudinal centralportion of the tray or a middle portion of the tray in the fore-and-aftdirection of the printer body 52. When the disk transferring tray 53 isinserted into the printer body 53 with a disk D1 loaded in the diskloading recessed portion 54, the disk holding member 55 as a diskholding means equipped to the disk transferring tray 53 is activated.Thus, the tip protruded portion 55 a of the disk holding member 55 movesalong the guide aperture 56 formed from the rear portion of the diskloading recessed portion 54 to the rear end portion to press the disk Dagainst the front end portion of the disk loading recessed portion 54.Essentially, the peripheral portion of the disk is slightly slippedunder the right-and-left pair of holding claws 60 and 60 to be pressedby the lower surfaces of the holding claws 60 and 60.

[0009] Thus, the disk D is held in the disk loading recessed portion 54in an immovable manner, whereby the printing of the disk with an inkhead can be executed accurately at the time of performing the printingin the printer body 52. After the completion of the printing, the disktransferring tray 53 is automatically ejected from the printer body 52.In the case of the aforementioned automatic machine, the hand arm picksup the disk D1 from the disk transferring tray 53. In the case of amanual operation, the unloading of the disk D1 can be performed smoothlyby inserting a finger into the finger insertion aperture 59 provided atthe center of the disk loading recessed portion 54 from beneath the disktransferring tray 53 and slightly pushing up the disk D1.

[0010] In figures, the reference numeral 58 denotes a window for asensor provided in the printer body to discriminate whether a disk isloaded at the time of inserting the tray, and the reference numeral 57denotes a die hole indispensable to form the holding claws 60 and 60.

[0011] Although the label printer 51 can be preferably used for a labelprinting of a standard 12 cm-CD, the printer cannot be used for a labelprinting of a name card type (card type) CD which has recently becomeavailable to the market as it is.

[0012] Of course, in performing label printing of a name card type (cardtype) CD, it is possible to employ a name card type disk adapterdisclosed by, for example, Japanese Unexamined Laid-open PatentPublication 2000-11573 A and make the aforementioned label printerexecute the label printing of a name card type CD with the name cardtype disk adapter mounting a CD loaded in the disk loading recessedportion 54.

[0013] However, in order to mount a CD to such a disk adapter, it isrequired to operate engaging means such as engaging claws formed on thedisk adapter. Although each operation is generally simple, in a casewhere there are tens or hundreds of CDs, the operations of mounting a CDon the adapter, removing the CD from the adapter after the completion ofthe label printing and then mounting another new CD on the adapter aretroublesome. More importantly, such an adapter cannot be used in theaforementioned automatic machine that automatically performs from copiesof CDs to label printing of CDs.

[0014] The present invention was made under the aforementioned technicalbackground and aims to provide a label printer for optical disks such asCDs capable of automatically holding a name card type optical disk in animmovable manner at a printing position when a disk transferring tray isinserted in a printer body with the name card type optical disk placedat a predetermined position on the disk transferring tray without usingan adapter to thereby perform a predetermined label printing.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

[0015] In order to attain the aforementioned object, in the presentinvention, in addition to a 12 cm-diameter complete round disk loadingrecessed portion, a name card type disk loading recessed portion isformed on a disk transferring tray so as to immovably hold the name cardtype disk in the name card type disk loading recessed portion.

[0016] That is, according to the present invention, a label printer foran optical disk such as a CD, comprises a disk transferring tray with a12 cm-diameter complete round disk loading recessed portion, the disktransferring tray being able to be inserted into and ejected from aprinter body, and a disk holding means that holds an optical disk suchas a CD in the 12 cm-diameter complete round disk loading recessedportion by pressing the optical disk, characterized in that a name cardtype disk loading recessed portion is formed in the tray, and a namecard type disk loaded in the name card type disk loading recessedportion is pressed against an inner periphery of the name card type diskloading recessed portion by a disk holding means to immovably hold thedisk.

[0017] According to the present invention, as a matter of course thatlabel printing of a 12 cm-diameter complete round disk can be performed.Furthermore, since a name card type disk loaded in the name card typedisk loading recessed portion is pressed against the inner periphery ofthe name card type disk loading recessed portion by the disk holdingmeans to thereby immovably hold the disk, a preferable label printing ofa name card type disk can be performed.

[0018] In the same manner as in a conventional label printer, it ispreferable that the disk holding means moves in accordance with themovement of the disk transferring tray in a disk releasing directionwhen the disk transferring tray is ejected from the printer body and ina disk holding direction when the disk transferring tray is insertedinto the printer body.

[0019] Furthermore, it is preferable that the disk holding means servesboth as a disk holding means for holding the name card type disk in thename card type disk loading recessed portion and a disk holding meansfor holding a 12 cm-diameter complete round disk in the 12 cm-diametercomplete round disk loading recessed portion. In this case, it ispossible to avoid an increase of the number of parts and the structuralcomplexity due to separate pieces and simplify the interlockingmechanism with the disk transferring tray.

[0020] It is preferable that the name card type disk loading recessedportion is formed at a rear portion of the complete round disk loadingrecessed portion and that a bottom surface of the recessed portion ispositioned lower than a bottom surface of the complete round diskloading recessed portion. In this case, the disk transferring tray canbe approximately the same size as a disk transferring tray of aconventional label printer, preventing an increase of the size of thedisk transferring tray, which in turn can prevent an increase of thesize of the label printer.

[0021] It is preferable that the name card type disk loading recessedportion is formed into an approximately rectangular shape as seen fromthe above corresponding to a plan shape of a name card type optical diskand that the rear end edge is positioned in the vicinity of a rear mostportion of a virtual complete circle of the complete round disk loadingrecessed portion. In this case, the holding position of the disk holdingmeans against the complete round disk and that against the name cardtype disk can be set to be the same or almost the same, which makes theholding force of the disk holding means against the name card type diskand the complete round disk almost constant. This prevents excessive orinsufficient holding of either disk. Furthermore, since the movableregion of the ink head in the printer body can be the same as aconventional label printer or slightly larger, the basic structure of aconventional label printer can be used as it is.

[0022] Furthermore, it is preferable that the name card type diskloading recessed portion is formed such that a long side thereof crossesin a transferring direction of the disk transferring tray. In this case,a name card type disk can be held in the widthwise direction, whichreduces the warping of a name card type disk due to the holding ascompared with the case in which the disk is held in the longitudinaldirection. Furthermore, since the degree of occupation of the name cardtype disk loading recessed portion to the complete round disk loadingrecessed portion can be minimized, the printing on a 12 cm-diameter diskby a printer head can be stabilized.

[0023] It is preferable that a disk ejecting finger insertion aperturecommunicating with the name card type disk loading recessed portion isformed in the complete round disk loading recessed portion. In thiscase, in cases where a name card type disk is loaded on the disktransferring tray or unloaded therefrom, the name card type disk can beeasily unloaded. Although the position of the aperture is not limited toa specific position, it is preferable to set the position at a positioncorresponding to the central aperture of the disk because printing bythe ink head is not performed at the position.

[0024] It is preferable that a disk ejecting finger insertion aperturecommunicating with the complete round disk loading recessed portion isformed in the vicinity of a periphery of the complete round disk loadingrecessed portion in order to facilitate the unloading of the completeround disk from the complete round disk loading recessed portion likethe name card type disk.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0025]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0026]FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the state in which a disktransferring tray is ejected from the printer main body.

[0027]FIG. 3 is an enlarged end elevation taken along the lines III-IIIin FIG. 2.

[0028]FIG. 4 is an enlarged end elevation taken along the lines IV-IV inFIG. 2.

[0029]FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing the state in which a disktransferring tray with a name card type CD loaded in a name card typedisk loading recessed portion is inserted in the printer main body.

[0030]FIG. 6 is an end elevation taken along the lines VI-VI in FIG. 5.

[0031]FIG. 7 a schematic plan view showing the state in which a disktransferring tray with a 12 cm-diameter CD loaded in a complete rounddisk loading recessed portion is inserted in the printer main body.

[0032]FIG. 8 is an end elevation taken along the lines VIII-VIII in FIG.7.

[0033]FIG. 9 is a schematic explanatory view showing the state in whicha disk transferring tray is ejected from a conventional label printer.

[0034]FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory view showing the state in whicha disk transferring tray is inserted in a conventional label printer.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0035] Hereinafter, a best mode for carrying out the invention will beexplained with reference to drawings.

[0036]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the state in which a disktransferring tray 2 is ejected from a printer body 1 of a label printerA according to the present invention. The disk transferring tray 2 is inan empty state in which no disk is loaded in either recessed portions 3and 4, the 12 cm-diameter complete around disk loading recessed portion3 or the name card type disk loading recessed portion 4.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, the 12 cm-diameter complete round diskloading recessed portion 3 has an inner periphery that coincides with avirtual complete circle having a diameter larger than the diameter of 12cm by 1 mm and a bottom surface 3 a located lower than the upper surfaceof the tray by about 1 mm. At the rear portion of the recessed portion3, a name card type disk loading recessed portion 4 having a bottomsurface 4 a located lower than the bottom surface 3 a of the 12cm-diameter complete round disk loading recessed portion 3 is provided,so that three peripheries of the name card type disk loading recessedportion 4 constitute stepped portions 4 b, 4 b and 4 c of the 12cm-diameter complete round disk loading recessed portion 3.

[0038] Accordingly, a 12 cm-diameter complete round disk D1 loaded inthe 12 cm-diameter complete round disk loading recessed portion 3 is ina state in which the portion of the disk D1 located above the name cardtype disk loading recessed portion 4 is not supported from beneath.

[0039] The name card type disk loading recessed portion 4 is formed intoan approximately rectangular shape as seen from the above correspondingto the plan shape of the name card type disk D2 so that the long side ofthe rectangular recessed portion 4 and the transferring direction of thedisk transferring tray 2 cross at right angles. Furthermore, the rearend edge, or the long side edge located at the rear side, is located atthe vicinity of the rear most end portion of the virtual complete roundcircle of the complete round disk loading recessed portion 3. The innerperiphery of this name card type disk loading recessed portion 4 is setto be 86 mm×61 mm so that a name card type disk D2 of about 86 mm×about59 mm can be loaded in a state in which the name card type disk D2 isdisposed tightly in the recessed portion 4 in the longitudinal directionbut loosely in the widthwise direction.

[0040] Furthermore, at the rear portion of this name card type diskloading recessed portion 4, an aperture 9 for allowing the movement ofthe disk holding member 11 in the fore-and-aft direction of the printerbody 1 is formed so as to communicate with the upper surface of thetray.

[0041] In the same manner as the conventional disk holding means 55shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the disk holding means 11 works with the disktransferring tray 2 such that the disk holding means 11 moves toward thereleasing direction at the time of ejecting the disk transferring tray 2from the printer body 1 and toward the holding direction at the time ofinserting the disk transferring tray 2 into the printer body 1. Thedetailed explanation will be omitted.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 3, etc., this disk holding means 11 is providedwith a protrusion 11 a at the tip end thereof, so that the protrusion 11a can move in the aperture 9 in the fore-and-aft direction of theprinter body 1 in a state in which the protrusion 11 a is alwaysdisposed in the aperture 5.

[0043] At the central portion of the bottom surface 3 a of the completeround disk loading recessed portion 3, a disk ejecting finger insertionaperture 5 is formed. This disk ejecting finger insertion aperture 5 isalso communicated with the bottom surface 4 a of the name card type diskloading recessed portion and has an approximately round shape as seenfrom the above. Furthermore, a sensor window 8 is also formed so as tocommunicate with the disk ejecting finger insertion aperture 5 formed inthe bottom surface 4 a of the name card type disk loading recessedportion 5. This sensor window 8 will be located right above a sensor(not shown) disposed in the printer body 1 when the disk transferringtray 11 is inserted into the printer body 1.

[0044] Furthermore, at the vicinity of the periphery of the 12cm-diameter complete round disk loading recessed portion 3, a diskejecting finger insertion apertures 7 each communicating with the bottomsurface 3 a of the complete round disk loading recessed portion 3 areformed.

[0045] The printer body 1 is provided with an ink head (not shown) likea conventional label printer 51. The sensor discriminates whether a diskis loaded on the disk transferring tray 2. When the sensor confirms thata disk is loaded on the disk transferring tray, label printing by theink head will be executed automatically. After the completion of theprinting, the disk transferring tray 2 is automatically ejected from theprinter body 1.

[0046] As will be understood from the above explanation, the printer Ahaving the aforementioned structure can be used as follows. Apredetermined label printing can be performed by loading a 12cm-diameter complete round disk D1 or a name card type disk D2 in thecorresponding disk loading recessed portion 3, 4 of the disktransferring tray 2 and then inserting the disk transferring tray 2 inthe printer body 1.

[0047] In detail, when a 12 cm-diameter complete round disk D1 or a namecard type disk D2 is loaded in the corresponding disk loading recessedportion 3, 4 of the disk transferring tray 2 and then the disktransferring tray 2 is inserted in the printer body 1, the disk holdingmeans 11 moves in the disk holding direction in accordance with themovement of the disk transferring tray 2 to press the 12 cm-diametercomplete round disk D1 or the name card type disk D2 against the innerperiphery of the corresponding disk loading recessed portion 3, 4,thereby immovably holding the disk.

[0048] When the sensor mounted in the printer body 1 confirms theloading of the disk, printing by the ink head is initiated. Since thisprinting is performed in a state in which the disk D1 or D2 is immovablyheld, a favorable label printing with no blur can be performed.

[0049] After the completion of the label printing, when the disktransferring tray 2 is automatically ejected from the printer body 1,the disk holding means 11 retreats from the disk holding position. Thus,the 12 cm-diameter complete round disk D1 or the name card type disk D2is released from the holding state in the corresponding recessed portion3, 4 by the disk holding means 11. Therefore, the 12 cm-diametercomplete round disk D1 or the name card type disk D2 can be easilypicked up from the disk transferring tray 2 by inserting a finger intothe disk ejecting finger insertion aperture 5 or 7 corresponding to the12 cm-diameter complete round disk D1 or the name card type disk D2.

1. (amended) A printer for an optical disk such as a CD, comprising adisk transferring tray 2 with a 12 cm-diameter complete round diskloading recessed portion 3, the disk transferring tray being able to beinserted into and ejected from a printer body 1, and a disk holdingmeans 11 that holds an optical disk such as a CD in the 12 cm-diametercomplete round disk loading recessed portion 3 by pressing the opticaldisk, characterized in that: a name card type disk loading recessedportion 4 is formed in the tray 2, and a name card type disk D2 loadedin the name card type disk loading recessed portion 4 is pressed againstan inner periphery of the name card type disk loading recessed portion 4by the disk holding means 11 to immovably hold the disk, wherein thedisk holding means 11 serves both as a disk holding means for holdingthe name card type disk D2 in the name card type disk loading recessedportion 4 and a disk holding means for holding a 12 cm-diameter completeround disk in the 12 cm-diameter complete round disk loading recessedportion
 3. 2. The label printer for an optical disk such as a CD asrecited in claim 1, wherein the name card type disk loading recessedportion 4 is formed at a rear portion of the complete round disk loadingrecessed portion 3, and wherein a bottom surface 4 a of the recessedportion is positioned lower than a bottom surface 3 a of the completeround disk loading recessed portion
 3. 3. (Deleted)
 4. (Amended) Thelabel printer for an optical disk such as a CD as recited in claim 2,wherein the name card type disk loading recessed portion 3 is formedinto an approximately rectangular shape as seen from the abovecorresponding to a plan shape of a name card type optical disk, andwherein the rear end edge is positioned in the vicinity of a rear mostportion of a virtual complete circle of the complete round disk loadingrecessed portion
 3. 5. The label printer for an optical disk such as aCD as recited in claim 4, wherein the name card type disk loadingrecessed portion 3 is formed such that a long side thereof and atransferring direction of the disk transferring tray 2 cross at rightangles.
 6. (Amended) The label printer for an optical disk such as a CDas recited in claim 1, 2, 4 or 5, wherein an aperture 5 for allowing amovement of the disk holding means 11 in the fore-and-aft direction ofthe printer body 1 is formed at a rear portion of the name card typedisk loading recessed portion
 4. 7. (Amended) The label printer for anoptical disk such as a CD as recited in any one of claims 1, 2, 4 to 6,wherein a disk ejecting finger insertion aperture 5 communicating withthe name card type disk loading recessed portion 4 is formed in thecomplete round disk loading recessed portion
 3. 8. (Amended) The labelprinter for an optical disk such as a CD as recited in any one of claims1, 2, 4 to 7, wherein a disk ejecting finger insertion aperture 7communicating with the complete round disk loading recessed portion 3 isformed in the vicinity of a periphery of the complete round disk loadingrecessed portion 3.